Genesis 37

The binder project for this story can be as simple or as complicated as you choose. Print out two copies of the page found here for each child. One page should have holes punched in the margin for the binder. The other page is for the coat pieces which are cut apart and glued onto the first page much like a puzzle. Our children do not enjoy cutting so we cut the pieces ahead of time and put them into envelopes, but we also shaded the back of each coat a different color so the children's pieces could be separated if they accidentally mixed them together. Printing the picture in black and white increases the complication, while cutting more than one shape in the same piece decreases the complication. As a guide, our children were ages 8-13 and it took them 20-25 minutes to complete the puzzle in black and white with all shapes separated into individual pieces. We found the best way to complete the puzzle was to find the location of one shape at a time and glue that single shape into place. Children who attempted to place all of their pieces and then glue them were frustrated when a slight gust of wind from someone passing by or from their sleeve brushing the page moved their pieces. The original website for the picture is found here.

Our project was very simple, and the kids loved it! We gave them sheets of computer paper, acrylic craft paints, a disposable plate for mixing paints, Q-tips, and a number of wet wipes and let them paint their own 'coat of many colors.' For the more active children, we cut holes in a plastic garbage to slip over them to protect their clothing. We bought the cheaper acrylic paints from Walmart for 57cents a piece, so the craft was not very expensive, required very little preparation and was a huge hit!

Genesis 35:16-20

The binder project for this lesson downloadable here illustrates that our decisions affect the decisions we make later in life, just as every turn in a maze leads to more turns. Rachel died in childbirth possibly because they moved when she was so far along in her pregnancy. It isn't too much of a stretch in imagination to link the need for moving with the actions of Simeon & Levi at Shechem. Our decisions matter, and can change the course of our lives and the lives of others. Thanks to http://nrich.maths.org for the maze, with the original website found here.

The activity for this lesson requires a Chutes & Ladders game board by Milton Bradley. If you don't own a copy, there are a variety of boards available on google images including the one below (courtesy of artsandgamecraft.wordpress.com) To make the game life-sized, we handed each child some cardstock paper until someone was responsible for all 25 sheets. Then we all folded our sheets in half both ways so we could cut along the folds and have 4 playing cards for each sheet of paper. We assigned one row of spaces (such as 1-10 or 61-70) to each child with the following instructions:

**For spaces that have no activity, simply write the number of the space in the upper right-hand corner.

**For spaces at the bottom of a ladder, write the number of the space in the upper right-hand corner AND draw a huge smiling face on the card with the number where the ladder ends written as a mustache on the face (example, space 21 would have a smiling face with a mustache saying 42)

**For spaces at the top of a ladder, write the number of the space in the upper right-hand corner AND a draw a huge smiling face on the card with the number where the ladder began written as a goatee or a chin (example, space 42 would have a smiling face with a goatee or chin saying 21)

**For spaces at the top of a slide, write the number of the space in the upper right-hand corner AND a huge frowning face with the number of the slide's end as a mustache (example, space 95 would have a frowning face with a mustache saying 75)

**For spaces at the bottom of a slide, write the number of the space in the upper right-hand corner AND a huge frowning face with the number of the slide's beginning as a goatee or chin (example, space 75 would have a goatee or chin saying 95)

Place all squares on the ground in order, but in any shape...they do not need to form a square like the original gameboard does. Give each child a die and a small cup or plate to roll the die on, then let all players play simultaneously. It is important to note that this game is best played indoors with a lot of floor space, or outside when there is no wind as the card stock squares tend to easily fly in the breeze.

Genesis 34

This lesson requires a bit of sugar-coating for the younger children, but we included it because the attack on Shechem caused the moved from Bethel which caused Rachel's death in childbirth. The binder project could also be considered a bit harsh for younger ones, so of course use good judgement in deciding whether or not to include this lesson in your program. The instructions for this sheet are simple. According to the Bible, every man in Shechem was killed while all women, children and livestock were captured. We asked the children to draw X's over the eyes of all the men to indicate their death, and to draw handcuffs (or pawcuffs) on all the women, children and animals to indicate their capture. Since the Bible later describes the Israelites as counting their men beginning at age 20 (see their counts during the Exodus and throughout their travels in Canaan) this is the approximate age we used for boys becoming men, however the clipart children should clearly be children. The sheet can be downloaded here. The clipart is courtesy of http://www.hasslefreeclipart.com.

The craft is courtesy of J.E. Morris' blogspot--an alligator puppet with moveable joints, requiring crayons or markers, scissors, paper fasteners, and the template found here at its original website or in document form instead of pdf. The alligators can be made to fight, to run away, or to faint from fear as the people of Shechem may have done, although all of our alligators lived a very happy life with the children in our class. The dancing alligator picture below is also courtesy of J.E. Morris.

Genesis 33

This binder project is courtesy of www.sky.cgi.org with the original website found here and the downloadable sheet found here. Simply find the animals that are hidden in the picture.

Our craft is courtesy of www.anotherdonkeydesign.blogspot.com with the original website found here. The idea is to make a toilet paper roll of a person (Esau or Jacob, although we allowed the kids to choose whatever person or theme they wanted) with an expression that changes, just as God changed Esau's heart. The children used acrylic craft paints to decorate the outside of the toilet paper roll, cutting out the space for the face (we chose to do this part ourselves with a razor blade, although scissors will work as well.) We gave each child a piece of card stock paper cut to the depth of the toilet paper roll, then they rolled that into a tube and taped it so it could fit inside the toilet paper roll. We also chose to tape a popsicle stick to the inside of the card stock tube so the entire tube could be easily turned inside the toilet paper roll. The kids then drew different expressions on the part of the card stock that showed through the hole in the toilet paper roll, turning the card stock to make a new expression, ect. The picture below is courtesy of the original website.

Genesis 32:22-32

This lesson's binder project was fairly simple, leaving a bit of extra time for the craft. The sheet is downloable here with the original website for the picture found here.

Our craft is a game of thumb wrestling, since Jacob wrestled with God. Print one sheet found here for each child on card stock. The children can color them them, then cut them out being sure to leave enough paper on the animals so they fit nicely on the child's thumb when taped. The animals at the top of the page are to be cut out as a square, but with the edges that extend out to be cut long enough for overlapping and taping. The animals at the bottom of the page are to be cut out and folded in half so the complete animal is on each side of the thumb. Simply wrap tape completely around the sides of the animals as many times as necessary. The original website for the first set of animals is found here courtesy of www.franktesting.co.uk while the original website for the second set of animals is found here courtesy of http://cf.ltkcdn.net.

Genesis 31:17-35

We chose not to discuss the reason Rachel claimed she could not get up when her father searched her tent, but simply said that she claimed she was too tired. Use your own discretion in teaching this lesson, but it is notable that Laban's family supposedly worshipped the true God which was the reason Rebecca told Isaac that Jacob should seek a wife there...yet Laban's family obviously held their household gods in high regard. Our binder project emphasizes the difference between our one God (in the form of the Trinity) and many other religions' beliefs in many, many, MANY gods! We chose to use some Greek gods whom we believed could be easily matched to their 'fortes'. The sheet is downloadable here with thanks to http://library.thinkquest.org for the information and pictures with the original website found here. Starting at the top left hand corner (the god with the shield) and continuing clockwise (to the woman in purple with long dark hair) the answers are as follows: Ares, Hades, Dionysus, Demeter, Aphrodite, Hephaestus, Artemis, Zeus, Iris, Persephone, Apollo, Hermes, Hestia, Poseidon, Athena, and Hera.

Our activity for this lesson was Capture the Flag since it requires "stealing" and a bit of stealth. The directions for this game are courtesy of www.fungameskidsplay.com with the original website found here. If your children are too young for this game, you can instead play a simple game of hide-and-seek. Another option is to bring one item for each child to hide within designated boundaries. All of the children hide their items at the same time, simultaneously watching the other children while trying themselves to not be watched. Once all items have been hidden, everyone searches for all of the other items. The player who find the most items is the winner, or any player whose item is not found could also be declared the winner.

CAPTURE THE FLAG

What you need to play: 2 flags - make flags from bandanas or old cloth.

Object of the game: Capture the other teams flag and return it to your home base.

Set up Capture the flag: Separate children into 2 teams. Each team determines their territory and boundaries. Usually one team takes the front yard and the other team takes the backyard. Each team decides where their jail and flag will be located.

The flag must be visible - it can not be moved. There is a safety zone around the flag ( a 10 - 15 ’ circle). The flags team may not enter this circle unless the other team enters first. How to play: Send part of the team to “enemy territory” to capture their flag. The team members left behind guard their flag. If you are caught (tagged) by the opposite team you have to go to their jail. The only way out of jail is to be tagged again by one of your teammates. (Only one person in the jail can be set free at a time.) After capturing the flag the team member must make it back to his territory - without being caught - to win. If someone has the flag and he is tagged - the person goes to jail and the flag is returned to it’s original location.
OptionsSpies and Lookouts When teams are placing their flags spies can be sent out to see where the flag is located - and look-outs can be sent out to catch the spies. Jail Chain If the jail is far from the boundary line players can form a human chain from the jail heading towards the boundary. The more people in jail then easier it is to get rescued. Jail Break With mutual consent teams can both yell “Jail Break!!” and prisoners are all free to run back to their home territory.

Genesis 31:1-18

This binder project requires a little more investment from the children than some of the others, so it is important to be clear in giving directions to avoid frustration. The concept is not difficult, but there are a few steps to making it happen. We printed both sheets found here and here on cardstock paper. You will also need some items for coloring (markers, crayons, or colored pencils), scissors and paper fasteners. First of all, the children are allowed to color the print-outs with one condition...the sheep and the goats that are opposite of each other cannot match. The concept here is that whatever Jacob earned (found on one side of the circle) was not what Laban paid him (found on the other side of the circle.) We suggested using stripes or dots or leaving some of them blank, but ultimately we left it up to each child. The children then cut out the entire circle from the first sheet which featured the words "Jacob Earned But Now", and they also cut out the blank wedges from each side of the circle up to but NOT including the middle circle where a small slice is cut for the paper fastener. In the picture below, the wedges to be cut out have been shadowed, although they are not that way on the sheet you will print out.

The second sheet is left completely in tact except for a small slice in the middle of the circle.

The paper fastener is fed through the cut-out circle and then through the intact sheet of paper so that the top circle rotates on top of the intact sheet. Viola! The original websites for the pictures are found at the end of this blog, and the final project is seen below.

Our activity required some preparation time, but mostly in the form of cutting circles. We chose to make our own game similar to Connect 4 by Milton Bradley representing Jacob's life which is now full of strategy, conflict and intrigue--not only between himself and Laban, but between his wives, his children, and even still between himself and his brother Esau. The game board can be downloaded here with the original website found here courtesy of www.jeffsgames.co.uk. The game pieces we used were all courtesy of www.hasslefreeclipart.com and are downloadable here for Beaver and Iguana, here for Dog and Dolphin, here for Monkey and Zebra, here for Pig and Squirrel, here for Turtle and Snake, and the circle template if you wish to make more game pieces is found here. We chose to print all game pieces and the board on card stock, then laminate them using clear shelf paper before cutting out the circles. The instructions below are courtesy of Milton Bradley, with full instructions found here. Remember that all game pieces must be played in the bottom-most available circle of a column, as if gravity would pulling it down in the real game.

Genesis 29 and 30:1-24

This binder project requires a bit of reading on the part of the leader from the blessings of Jacob on his children found in Genesis 49, since the majority of those blessing correspond to the banners for the 12 tribes of Israel. The children simply match the son of Jacob with the tribe's banner(s) on the printout found here. Note that the banners next to each other go together, so some of the tribes have only one banner while some have two and some even have three. The answer key can be found here, and I also have uploaded it to this blog for ease with credit going to nyut545e2 at www.docstoc.com (more information about the tribes can be found at the original website found here.)

Answer Key

Our activity requires good weather outside and bit of preparation. Each set of printouts found here and here gives 24 sets of playing pieces, so consider your needs and plan accordingly. After printing out your playing pieces, cut the faces apart into approximately equal squares. Then staple the face of Jacob over each of the girls' faces so that Jacob hides either Leah (with the glasses since her eyes were weak) or Rachel (no glasses.) These playing pieces (a complete set of Jacob with either Leah or Rachel) are hidden outside ahead of time. The children are given a small lunch bag for gathering their playing pieces, much like an Easter egg hunt. Once the playing pieces are all found, the children go inside and score their pieces. Since Jacob loved Rachel more than Leah, Rachel playing pieces are worth 2 points while Leah playing pieces are only worth 1 point. The original website for the pictures are at the end of this blog.

Genesis 27:41-46 and 28

Our binder project for this lesson includes a comic by Jeff Larson. His website of Biblical comics can be found here. We also included a maze courtesy of www.sermons4kids.com with the original website found here. The download is available here.

The activity for this lesson is very difficult at first, but the children did suprisingly well and were appreciative enough that the outcome was worth the effort. We created a ladder from beads to duplicate the ladder Jacob saw in his dream. As the leader for this craft, I attempted this stitch 3 or 4 times before I felt comfortable enough to teach it. We used Cross Stitch thread because of its thickness and durability, as well as cross stitch needles that were less likely to prick little fingers but could still be threaded and maneuvered through beads easily. We chose to use the left-over beads from our bracelet craft (when Isaac & Rebecca married) since they were large enough for little fingers to handle, although I also brought my own stash of smaller beads for the more daring children and they managed just wonderfully with them! The instructions I used were courtesy of http://jewelrymaking.about.com with the original link found here. The picture below is courtesy of the same website.

As an alternative, longer beads can be used (or simply single beads) with the instructions from http://beadwork.about.com and the orignal link found here. The picture below is courtesy of the that website.

Note: I found it very helpful to begin the project by clearly stating that this craft was probably over the children's heads and that we could quit the project if anyone felt overwhelmed or frustrated, but that I knew they had the ability if they were patient and listened carefully to the instructions. This warned them of the difficulty they might experience, and although each child did require some one-on-one help at some point, I found they all listened carefully and persevered quite well when they experienced trouble. My own children still have this craft sitting around their room and were quite proud to show it to their friends. Well worth the trouble!

Genesis 27:1-41

It is important in this lesson to emphasize the difference between the birthright which Esau sold to Jacob in the previous chapter and the blessing which Jacob stole from Esau. The birthright is the double-portion of the inheritance, meaning that if a man had four sons he would divide his inheritance into five portions and give two full portions to his eldest son. The blessing designated a specific son as the head of the household and generally accompanied the birthright. While I do not belong to the Church of Christ, they have an excellent explanation of the two terms found here.

Our binder project shows the changes a man can make in his appearance, just as Jacob changed his appearance (as well as smell and feel) to resemeble Esau. The body template is courtesy of www.firstpallette.com with the original website found here and the downloadable version found here. To prepare, print out a few copies of the body template for each child (we chose five copies for each child), then staple them together at the top, middle, and bottom along the left hand edge to give them support. Be sure to still punch holes in the left margin so they can be placed in the binder. The children color each page to be a specific theme of their choosing, such as a clown, ninja, beach bum, cowboy, etc., then cut the bodies apart at the two drawn lines being sure NOT to cut beyond the line on the left side of the page. The example below the template is courtesy of the original website.

Our activity fast became a favorite! Since Jacob tricked Isaac, we chose a craft that tricked others--fake spilled chocolate milk. The children mixed 2 parts glue with 1 part acrylic paint in a bowl (brown for the chocolate milk, but some children chose other colors.) Then we poured some of the mixture into a disposable cup and the rest onto wax paper, setting the cup into the middle of the puddle. We let the project sit for the week, then pulled the entire set off the wax paper very carefully as some still had small wet areas. The end result can be seen below.

Genesis 25:19-34

We chose to divide this lesson into two separate binder projects, although we studied the entire lesson at the same time. The first binder project emphasizes that, although they were twins, Jacob and Esau had very little in common. This project is courtesy of http://homeschooling.about.com with the original website found here and the downloadable version found here.

The second binder project emphasizes Esau's disregard for his birthright, which also came with spiritual responsibilities for which he had little interest. This project is courtesy of http://www.sermons4kids.com with the original website found here. You can also download the worksheet here, although it is important to note that we did not include the word bank at the bottom of the original.

﻿Our activity was inspired by the game Feed the Kitty by Gamewright (see the picture below courtesy of Amazon.com.) First we had the children cut out the die template as seen in the picture below and downloadable here, then we helped them tape it into a cube (tape works much better and easier than glue.) We distributed 40 uncooked pasta shells to each child to represent Jacob's stew, leaving 40 in the middle of the table as a discard pile. Everyone plays at the same time, rolling their single die and performing the activity shown on the face of the die. The 'NO' sign (line through the circle) means you do nothing--like a 'resting space.' The hand means you give a pasta shell to any other player--simply dump it in their pile of pasta. The empty bowl means you ate your stew so give a shell to the discard pile. The soup in the bowl means you were given a refill so take a shell from the discard pile. Play continues until one person is completely out of pasta shells, but that person must call out before another player hands them a pasta shell or play continues. The original websites for the clipart used in the die is found at the end of this blog.

Genesis 26:1-33

This lesson is difficult to place chronologically. According to its position in the Bible, Jacob & Esau have already been born...but I believe it is more likely to have occurred before their birth. You are, of course, free to place this lesson wherever you believe it best fits. We followed the exact same binder lesson concept as when Abraham lied to Abimelech, since this same king was deceived by both father and son. The color version is downloable here and the black/white here, while the original website for the rodeo picture is found here and the ferry picture is found here. Thanks again to Highlights magazine for their kid-friendly web pages!

Again, our activity simply went a step further than our binder project. The first sheet is downloadable here and the second here. Hints to these clues can be found on the original Highlights websites listed above.

Genesis 25:1-11

This lesson ends another section of our Bible study. Our binder project is Abraham's Family Tree which can be downloaded here. All pictures used on this page are from www.edupics.com with their original websites listed at the end of this blog.

Our activity for this lesson is similar to our last end of section activity. The sheet found here was printed for each child. The children colored the pictures and marked the back of each picture with their initials. Then each child cut the pictures apart and put them in chronological order as quickly as possible. When the children are efficient at these pictures, the pictures from the previous section can be mixed as well. When not in use, the pictures are stored in a sheet protector with a single piece of double-stick tape at the top in the middle to hold the sheet protector closed and keep the pictures safely tucked inside. The original website for the pictures are the bottom of this post.

Genesis 23:1-2 and 24:1-66

This lesson is a bit long, so it's important to keep the story moving and re-emphasize key points during the activity instead of bogging down the storyline with a myriad of details all at once. The binder project is courtesy of www.biblewise.com witth the original website found here. The downloadable version for the binder is found here.

﻿Our activity was a simple bracelet (or as many bracelets as the children could manage in the time alotted) since Rebekah was given bracelets among other items as gifts from Abraham's servant. We chose to use Bead n Stretch instead of string or leather because it gave a little forgiveness if the children accidentally made their bracelets a little too small. We simply cut a very long piece of the Bead n Stretch, then put a single folded piece of tape on one end to keep the beads from falling off. Once the children had threaded their beads and we had double-checked the length, we tied the ends of the Bead n Stretch together twice and then dabbed a touch of superglue on the knot to hold it. A minute later the glue was dry and the children were happily sporting their story illustrations. Be sure to allow plenty of extra Bead n Stretch when you cut the length for the children so you can easily tie the knot without losing the beads. The pictures below are courtesy of www.walmart.com

Genesis 22:1-19

Our binder project for this lesson is courtesy of 'sewhttkr' and the original website can be found here or the sheet can be downloaded here.

The activity consists of two sheets, one downloadable here and the other downloadable here Cut the entire strip from the second sheet, NOT separating the pictures. Then place a slice in the top and bottom of the television screen so that the strip can easily pass through. The slip passes from beneath the first sheet, up through the bottom slice, down through the top slice, and back underneath the page. This allows for the story to be told while the pictures appear on the television screen as the slip is being pulled upward. It may be helpful to cut another strip out of the same piece of paper and tape part of it on the top and bottom of the slip for more maneuverability. The websites for the pictures are at the bottom of the blog.

Genesis 21:1-21

Our binder project for this lesson comes from the Emotion Wheel, which I found at the website link here. You will want to print out the original picture for an answer key, or solve an extra copy of the puzzle using that picture beforehand. I have uploaded the picture for your convenience, with the binder sheet shown below and downloadable from here.

Our activity was a little messy, but easily swept up afterward. We used colored sugar to make a 'sand bottle' with a special jewel hidden inside. Needed items are white sugar, food coloring, empty water bottles, bowls, spoons, a funnel, and a small jewel (we bought ours from Walmart in an 8-pack for $2.) The children simply put some white sugar into a bowl, added a few drops of food coloring, and mixed. Then they poured the sugar into the water bottle with the funnel. When they wanted a new color, they used a new bowl and spoon. The jewel was added at any point the child wished. The concept is that our emotions can either make our lives beautiful or ugly...the choice is ours. Sometimes our lives may get a little mixed up, but troubles often leave us with a special treasure of experience that could not have been found otherwise. Photo courtesy of http://www.kidsafesand.com

Genesis 20

Our binder project for this lesson comes from Highlights magazine, focusing on the chaos and disorder that Abraham's lie caused Abimelech's household. The original pictures can be found at the Highlights website here and here, with the download available here in black and white or here in color.

For our activity, we took the same project one step farther as the children tried to spot specific items in the pictures. The first sheet is downloadable here and the second here. Hints to these clues can be found on the original Highlights websites listed above.

Genesis 19:1-29

Our binder project for this lesson is courtesy of "sewhttkr" and can be printed from the original website found here or a copy I made found here.

Alternately, Church House Collection has a nice maze that focuses on Lot's wife being turned into a pillar of salt that can be printed from here.

We chose a salt dough statue for our activity, with the easy recipe found here courtesy of Busy Bees Kids Crafts, although there are a number of recipes online. We chose to let our dough dry naturally over the course of a week and then used acrylic paints to add details. Since the children worked so hard on their dough, we let them use all of the dough on whatever shapes they chose after completing Lot's wife. This especially thrilled them when it came time for painting!

This picture is courtesy of "Christine Salt of the Earth" on flickr and gives an idea of the possibilities. Feel free to use cookie cutters, especially for the younger children.